COPS SEIZE DRUGS WORTH OVER RM37 MLN IN RAID ON IPOH BUNGALOW

IPOH, Jan 23 (Bernama) -- A syndicate's tactic of renting a bungalow in an elite residential area to store drugs was exposed when police arrested a man and a woman in a raid here and seized RM37.3 million worth of drugs.

Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said a team of personnel from the Bukit Aman NCID and Perak contingent arrested the two unemployed suspects, in their 30s, at a bungalow on Jan 16.

He said that upon inspection, they found 838.33 kilogrammes (kg) of methamphetamine and an estimated 679.22kg of liquid and powder suspected to be chemicals, as well as drug processing equipment.

"Further investigation of the bungalow's car park area led to the discovery of 618.24kg of material that had been processed into cement slabs.

"Upon analysis, the material was found to contain MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine),” he told a media conference at the Perak Police Headquarters here today.

Hussein said the drug trafficking syndicate, believed to have been active since December 2024, is masterminded by a foreigner who served as the coordinator by renting the bungalow in the elite residential area as a strategic location to store the drugs.

Hussein added that both suspects tested positive for methamphetamine and had prior records related to crime and drugs.

"Both suspects have been remanded for 13 days until Jan 26 to assist in investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

"The NCID is tracking a male Chinese national with the help of our counterparts. We believe the suspect has been to Malaysia five times, the last being in August last year.

"Checks with the Hong Kong Narcotics Bureau found that the suspect has four prior records related to illegal possession of drugs in Hong Kong, and they are still tracking him,” he said.

-- BERNAMA